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1a. What is the GRE?
1b. GRE Scores & B-School
1c. How the GRE CAT Works
1d. GRE Pacing Strategies
1e. GRE Tips & Strategies

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   1a. What Is the GRE & What Does It Test?


You'll receive three scores for the GRE CAT:
  1. Quantitative scaled subscore, ranging from 200 to 800 (these are math questions).
  1. Verbal scaled subscore, ranging from 200 to 800 (tests reading comprehension, antonyms and sentence completion).
  1. Writing Assessment scaled subscore 0 to 6 (essays on analysis of issue and argument).

The GRE is graded on a preset curve so that your scaled score will correspond to a certain percentile. An overall score of 630, for example, approximately corresponds to the 90th percentile, meaning that 90 percent of test takers scored at or below this level.

Highest GRE Scores?
California Institute of Technology average GRE Math: 767
Sample approximate percentiles within the score range of 200-800. Percentiles may vary from year to year.
  96-99th percentile 720
  79-90th percentile 630
  61-75th percentile 570
  37-50th percentile 500



Different Uses for the GRE

The importance of your GRE scores varies from graduate school to graduate school and from field to field. State schools will often have minimum GRE score requirements. More competitive programs will often put more value on the GRE score. Certain technical majors, such as Engineering, also tend to put more value on the GRE.

Some graduate schools will not include a section and only require two sections, meaning a score potential from 400 to 1600. Technical graduate programs may require high Quantitative scores. Psychology programs and those that emphasize reasoning skills often have minimum Analytical scores.

 Graduate Program  Quant   Verbal
 Cal Tech Engineering  767  
 Iowa State Engineering  765  
 Columbia U. Education  628  564
 Lehigh U. Education  560  526


International Students

International students who have studied at non-U.S. schools and are applying to a U.S. graduate school should put more emphasis on the GRE because graduate school admissions officers need an objective way to compare students from different backgrounds. In addition, graduate schools may need to asses the student's verbal skills if he or she is a non-native speaker.
    Continue to GRE Scores and Graduate School (page 3 of 5 in Chapter 1)

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